Judge Dismisses Conn. Lawsuit Over Mexico Massacre

A federal judge in Connecticut has dismissed a lawsuit against former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo that accused him of crimes against humanity in connection with the 1997 killings of 45 people in a Mexican village.

U.S. District Judge Michael Shea in Hartford ruled that Zedillo is immune from the lawsuit because of his status as a former national leader. Zedillo denied the allegations, and the State Department backed his immunity claim. Shea dismissed the lawsuit Thursday.

Zedillo was president of Mexico from 1994 to 2000 and is now an international studies professor at Yale University.

Ten unnamed plaintiffs who say they are survivors of the killings in Acteal sued Zedillo for $50 million in 2011. They said Zedillo bore some responsibility for the massacre and tried to cover it up.